By Daniel Meléndez
August has come and gone, and as we dive into the second half of the year, I can’t help but think that for Colombian neo-psychedelia band BALTHVS, the past month was nothing short of thrilling—a pivotal moment in their journey. 18 shows in one month across the U.S. might sound easy, but I’m pretty sure it’s anything but.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to catch up with them after their show at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco, just one night before their set at one of the country’s biggest festivals: Outside Lands.
It was a Friday night, and I went to the show solo. There’s something about going to concerts, festivals, or even traveling alone that I really enjoy—it lets you move at your own pace, do what you want when you want. You can grab a drink at the bar, sink into a couch, and just take it all in: the people, the setting, the energy. That calm that comes with being by yourself is a space we all need once in a while.
Anyway, I got there early, expecting to do the interview before the show, but when that didn’t happen, I wandered around the venue and made my way upstairs to the mezzanine as the night kicked off with a funk and disco DJ set. I slumped into a couch, still tired from the previous night’s party at the GAMH, sipping slowly on a gin and tonic. The place began to fill up, voices around me in English, Spanish, and some other languages I couldn’t place. Suddenly, the DJ wrapped up his set (which was actually pretty damn good), the lights dimmed, and there was this expectant hush. A guitar strummed, joined by drums and bass, and my first thought was that the band sounded seriously tight. I figured it was time to head down to the main floor, but when I got there, I was hit with a surprise: the band on stage wasn’t BALTHVS, but another group—three dudes and a girl on drums. “Who the hell are these guys?” I wondered. After their first song, they introduced themselves: “We are The Breathing Room, thanks for being here.” I really dug their set—each musician was crazy talented, and the vibe was super chill without being dull or repetitive. They had a great connection on stage, and I liked them even more when they gave a shout-out to Palestine, reminding the crowd of the genocide happening right now, funded by the same country we were standing in.
After their set, I spotted the guitarist near the merch table. I introduced myself, mentioned that I was planning to write a review of the night, and we headed outside to chat. “My name is Garret Barley, and I play guitar and sing in The Breathing Room. We’re a psychedelic indie band based in SF; most of us grew up in the Bay Area,” he told me. He also shared that they dropped their self-titled debut album last year and are currently recording new material, which will be out before the year ends, along with more shows and tours. They’re definitely a band to keep an eye on.
After taking in the lively chaos of San Francisco’s streets for a bit (oh, sweet downtown madness), I headed back into the Rickshaw Stop just in time for BALTHVS. By then, the place was packed, and I managed to squeeze my way to the front on the left side of the stage. The Colombian trio was met with roaring applause, and after a quick intro, they kicked off their set with a track from Harvest (2024, Mixto Records), their latest LP, released just a couple of weeks before their stop in the city.
With each song, the crowd’s energy climbed, matching the band’s tightly-woven soundscapes. It’s wild to think just three people could craft something so intricate. Each member played a distinct role—Baltazar on guitar was nothing short of a virtuoso, effortlessly switching between Phrygian scales, Hungarian minors, and Dorian modes. Johanna’s bass brought a groovy element into the mix, and while BALTHVS is mostly instrumental, her harmonies and backing vocals elevated the sensory experience. Santiago’s drumming, with its Latin beats, was the perfect anchor to round out the BALTHVS vibe. Their live set pulls in influences from funk, Latin rock, cumbia, oriental melodies, down-tempo vibes, and yes, even disco. It’s an eclectic mix, but beyond their undeniable technical prowess, it was clear that they were having the time of their lives on stage, connecting with the audience.
After the show, we headed up to the green room, and I asked the band how they came together. Johanna, with her distinct Colombian accent, told me, “I met them at a concert in Bogotá; they had another band before they met me, and during the pandemic, Baltazar started teaching me how to play bass, and that’s when BALTHVS was born, right in the middle of the pandemic.” I asked what it meant to them to be the only Latin American band playing at Outside Lands, and Baltazar responded, “It’s an honor, and it’s really cool that a psychedelic project like ours has space in these kinds of festivals, which tend to lean more towards the mainstream vibe.” We chatted about Harvest, their latest record. I told them I’d listened to the whole thing before the show and congratulated them on an amazing job. Johanna explained that they recorded it in a small town near Bogotá called La Mesa. “We recorded it in record time, in a month, in a place surrounded by mango trees, nature, a pool, water, warm weather—totally inspired by the Latin vibes we wanted to explore. The album was produced by Baltazar, just like all of our previous albums.” Santiago chimed in: “We recorded the eight tracks from scratch; every four days, we had a new song. That was the rhythm we kept. We were staying on this finca in the middle of the mountains, set up a little studio in one of the rooms, and yeah, it was just super chill, with birds around, a pool, great weather. We were living like monks—rice with lentils and a little bit of veggies, day in and day out. It was a beautiful creative exercise, the three of us sitting down and figuring out how we wanted to sound together.”
I asked them about Aguacero, one of my favorite tracks off the album, and Johanna lit up with a smile—clearly one of her favorites too. Baltazar said, “I think one day we were feeling down in La Mesa, and it was pouring rain, so it just came naturally. We’re all into Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, you know, so it was kind of an experiment to blend that influence with our chill funk sound. We’ve always loved African music—Fela, Ebo Taylor, and even Latin projects like Newen Afrobeat.” Santiago added with a grin: “Yeah, Baltazar and I used to have a band, and we played some Fela covers (Zombie, for example), so Afrobeat was always a big influence for us. We started pulling from more modern influences like Nubya Garcia and Theon Cross, from that UK scene that incorporates those Afro elements. And, of course, bands like Newen Afrobeat from Chile. By the end of that track, you hear the hi-hat opening up on the offbeat—kind of a disco nod at the end. So yeah, there’s a bit of that in there too.”
As I was interviewing Santiago, a few guys were hanging around, and one of them said to me, “I did the visuals for tonight’s show.” Fueled by my instinct to give credit to those behind the scenes, I struck up a conversation. “My name is Hessed Porras, and I do all the animations and visuals for BALTHVS. I met them at the Lodge Room in LA, during their first show there back in February, at a Jazz is Dead event. We connected on IG, and they invited me to do a show with them, they liked it, and from there, I joined more dates on their U.S. tour. I designed all the videos in After Effects and Illustrator, and for the live show, I use Resolume.” I congratulated him on his fantastic work, met his friends, and spent some time talking music while the venue slowly emptied out. We had a few drinks, wrapping up the night with new friends and the satisfaction of having witnessed a great show.
I stepped out of the Rickshaw Stop and began my usual walk home, unaware of the mentally challenging weeks that lay ahead for the rest of the month, which would prevent me from finishing this review in just a few days as planned… but that’s another story. What matters, in the end, is the music. And that night, the music gave me a perfect evening and new friends. What more could I ask for? No complaints here.